


Retribution

by skycloud86



Series: AlexAU Series [4]
Category: 24 (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29987652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skycloud86/pseuds/skycloud86
Summary: Originally published on FFN in 2009, this is a re-written version with a different ending to the one on the other site, although I have added the alternate ending to that version. Mostly following my OC, Alex Myers, the story starts on Day Three and continues up until an alternative Day Seven and beyond.
Series: AlexAU Series [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2193828





	1. Three Wrongs

**CTU Los Angeles, 3:00am**

Alex had met Kim in the corridor, where she had told him about the standoff between her and Nina, and was now running towards the room where Kim had left an injured Nina and vengeful Jack. Not knowing what to expect, he kept his gun ready as he turned the corner as stealthily as he could before his eyes fell on the face of his dead sister. Trying hard not to react too strongly, he looked around for and found Jack, who was crouched down close to the body and seemed to be gazing at Nina's face.

"You had to do it, Jack?" Alex asked quietly before the silence returned and it seemed as if Jack was considering his answer.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Jack replied with Alex noting the emotions. Sadness, sure, but not as much regret as Alex assumed would be there. Sure, Jack had wanted Nina dead for years, but Alex had always thought he would never actually enjoy the deed. As much as Jack believed in an eye for an eye, he always seemed to see it almost as a duty to be carried out, not as a pleasure to be enjoyed or looked forward to.

"What happened after Kim left?" Alex continued, his eyes gazing at Nina's face, which was now ashen and almost peaceful except for her eyes that stared straight upwards towards the ceiling. Again, a pause as if Jack was trying to find the right words.

"I asked her if she had any more information. She said she did, but as she was going for her gun, I didn't believe her. Not that I expected to, anyway," Jack spoke as he stood up, his face void of emotion as if he had wiped it away. Alex looked at Nina, then at the gun lying next to her, running the events through his mind. Something just didn't seem right to him.

"And what if she did?" Alex spoke, much to Jack's surprise. For a third time, Jack took his time in answering so Alex moved closer to him slowly but steadily. He gripped his gun a little tighter as he did so and for the first time he began contemplating just how far he could go, would allow himself to go.

"You're really willing to risk innocent lives for your own personal revenge, Jack?" Alex spoke louder, more firmly. Jack felt anger beginning to rise within himself and was trying to control it. Alex knew what Nina had done and how much of a threat she was to everyone. If he hadn't gotten to her in time, Kim could have been dead and he knew that he had to kill her, to take her out of the game for good.

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" Jack snorted, tired of what seemed to be an interrogation. There had been enough of those over the past day and the threat was still out there with countless innocent lives at risk. Alex's free hand clenched into a fist, and before he himself knew it, he punched Jack hard in the face. As he crumpled to the floor, Alex lifted his gun to point it straight at Jack's face, and he wondered if he was really prepared to use it or if the anger he felt was making him reckless.

"Dammit, Jack! If one innocent life is lost because we didn't get information out of Nina, I will kill you myself!" Alex snarled, the anger within him becoming more controlling. He wondered if he was really all that bothered about the innocent lives, if he was really just reacting to seeing his sister lying dead on the floor. Jack looked up at him with his own anger rising quickly, this was all just wasting time when they could be stopping the threat.

"Two wrongs don't make a right, why should three do it?" Jack sneered in response as he tried to get back up. He was furious with Alex but didn't think the younger agent posed an actual threat to him. He was proven wrong when a bullet hit him in his right shoulder, sending him straight back to the ground. Shocked, he looked up at Alex and studied his features. He seemed to be contemplating what to do next, and Jack was worried about his options.

"Alex, don't do something you'll regret," he pleaded, trying to calm him down. It was bad enough that he had shot him, but he was willing to look past that if Alex would at least lower the gun. He wondered where everyone else was, why nobody had come to the scene of Nina's death. Surely Chappelle would have wanted to find out what had happened? It was if nothing outside of that room existed anymore.

"I'm sorry," Alex spoke quietly. Jack's eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen, and he prayed to anyone or anything that was listening for someone to come in and stop this madness. He thought of Kim and knew that if he were to die there, it would destroy all progress she had made since her mother had died in the exact same room. It would probably destroy her completely. He kept his eyes on Alex's face, trying to work out what his decision would be.

Alex was pointing the gun at Jack's chest, although his attention was on Nina, before it turned to the door he had come through. Soon enough, his eyes met Jack's and for what seemed like an eternity the two looked at each other. Alex was almost surprised as he shot Jack three times, the bullets tearing through his drug-addled and battle-weary body. Lowering his gun painfully slowly, he stared at the dead body of his friend for a moment before placing the gun on the floor. Carefully taking Jack's jacket off of him, he almost reverently covered his head with it, before moving over to a corner of the room and taking a cloth that covered a pile of old devices. Moving over to Nina, and with the same reverence, he gently placed the cloth over her head. Wondering where everyone was as he picked up his gun, he made his way carefully out of the room. Now that the anger had subsided, he felt more afraid than anything as he ran towards the elevators.


	2. Chase

**Bullpen, CTU Los Angeles, 3:20am**

Chase looked at Kim with concern, before scanning the bullpen for what seemed to be the fourth or fifth time. Neither Alex or Jack had returned from the ITS room and it had been some time since Kim had left her father with Nina.

"Something seems wrong, I'm going to see what's happening," he told her quietly. He had a good idea that Nina was now dead, but shouldn't at least one of Jack or Alex have come back by now? He wondered if they were just talking, processing what had happened, but he knew that he had to be sure.

"I would like to talk to my Dad as soon as he's finished, can you let him know that?" Kim asked, tiredness evident in her eyes and voice. It had been another long, awful day and even though her mother's killer was now dead and unable to cause any more harm, she wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of her father killing Nina. She understood why he felt the need to kill her, but she didn't want him to have it on his conscience.

As he walked down the corridor, where the lights were dull, Chase was finding it hard to focus his eyes and the sleep deprivation only made things worse. Approaching the room where he was expecting to find Alex and Jack, he quickly noticed that nobody was talking. In fact, it seemed to be deathly silent. Pulling out his gun, he slowly peered into the room and noticed the two covered bodies. Checking for any signs of life, he entered carefully and walked closer, realising that one was Nina and the other was a man. As he slowly lifted the jacket, he wasn't sure who he wanted to see lying underneath it before he saw the blond hair and formerly tanned face of Jack. Quickly replacing the jacket, he composed himself before fishing his phone out of his pocket. Dialling Kim's extension, he could only wonder what had happened between Jack and Alex. Part of him hoped that Jack and Nina had simply shot and killed each other, whilst Kim would still lose her dad, at least it wouldn't mean she had been betrayed yet again by someone she had trusted. However, he knew that wasn't the case.

"Kim, I need you to get Tony to lock down the building, I can't tell you anything more than that, OK? Just don't leave the bullpen," he spoke, trying to keep his voice calm and measured.

"What? I'll go and get him," Kim replied as she began to grow worried about her father and Alex. If Nina was dead, what was the lockdown for? Getting Tony's attention, she waited for him to approach and take the phone.

"Tony, it's Chase. Listen, Jack's dead and I think Alex killed him. I need you to keep Kim where she is and lock down the building, Alex might still be here," Chase explained. Ending the call, he took Jack's gun and shoved it down the front of his pants, before beginning his search for Alex.

Alex was heading slowly towards the underground garage, trying his best to avoid any guards or other agents. The nervousness he felt was only exacerbated when the alarm suddenly began blaring for the second time that night, and he realised that he didn't have the luxury of time. Beginning to run, he almost crashed into a guard who he promptly pistol-whipped and, leaving the comatose man on the floor where he fell, he continued onwards towards the garage and his car. Deprived of sleep and having gone hours on only water and coffee, he was close to collapsing and, as he reached the doors of the underground garage he allowed himself a moment to rest, his gun pointed ready to fire at anyone who came into view. Soon enough, he was running towards his car, and flashes of the day Nina was arrested played in his mind. From what Jack had said, Nina had sped towards him whilst shooting through her windscreen. Telling himself that Jack was dead and no black SUV was about to turn into the garage, he sighed with relief as he climbed into his car. As he sped out of the garage and into the dark, deserted streets of Los Angeles, he considered his future.

Chase had reached the knocked out guard and was trying his best to revive him. He was hoping that Kim was still unaware of what had happened to her father, as well as that Alex had not managed to escape. As the guard slowly regained consciousness, Chappelle approached them.

"Chase, I have bad news. Alex was just seen leaving the garage. Why don't you go and be with Kim, tell her about her father?" he spoke. Chappelle was in shock at what had just happened, but he was determined to keep the virus threat as their main priority. Sighing, Chase stood up slowly and began heading back to Kim. He had no idea how he was going to break the news, how to tell her that one of the worst nights of her life had happened all over again.


	3. Kim

**Alleyway, Los Angeles, 3:50am**

Alex had parked up in a dark alley a few miles away from CTU, trying at least to get some rest before he made his next move. Each time a siren was heard, something common in LA even at almost four in the morning, his eyes would open suddenly and he would look around nervously. Deciding that he would soon be leaving the city and heading east, he pulled out his phone and dialled the number of an old friend.

"Alex? Isn't it the middle of the night in LA?" Sarah Henderson, chief of staff at the Chicago branch of CTU, spoke. It was barely light outside where she was, and she had been fast asleep in bed before her phone woke her up.

"There's been an incident at CTU. Nina's dead, Sarah," Alex replied, and he could hear Sarah sit up quickly.

"Incident? Involving Nina? I thought she was in North Africa?" Sarah asked, suddenly very interested in the conversation. If something was happening at the Los Angeles branch of CTU, she certainly hadn't heard anything in Chicago about it.

"I'm coming to Chicago, Sarah. Today. I'll explain more when I get there," Alex spoke. Ending the call, he wondered how long it would take for the news to reach Chicago and how Sarah would react to it. Taking a deep breath, he started the car and drove out onto the street. What had been a long and tiring Thursday was turning into an equally long and tiring Friday.

**CTU Los Angeles, 4:05am**

Back at CTU, and Kim was distraught. She had been crying for some time and was completely inconsolable. The events of the past few hours were not only extraordinary, they were utterly unbelievable to her. She had trusted Alex almost as much as she trusted her dad, seeing him almost like a big brother or uncle. He had seemed so different to his sister, but now Kim saw only the similarities. Chase entered the room and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Is there anything I can get you, Kim?" he asked gently as he sat down next to her. He couldn't help feeling guilty in two ways. The first was not going after Nina himself, which would have meant he would be there with Alex and Jack. The second was not being able to stop Alex before he left the building.

"No, but thank you," Kim replied. She felt as if she had been thrown violently back to the day her mother was killed, in the same room and by someone she had trusted, and she wondered what she had done to deserve it all. Why had this happened again?

"We'll get him, Kim, I promise. The virus is our main priority right now, but we'll do everything we can to find him," Chase spoke. He knew that Alex still had some sympathy for his sister, something he could understand, but he had never thought that Alex would harm Jack in any way. They had talked the night before after he had returned from Mexico, and whilst Alex acknowledged that his sister had done terrible things, he still saw the good in her.

"Like CTU got Nina? He'll probably be pardoned for something," Kim replied bitterly. She remembered how she felt the day Nina had been released just eighteen months after murdering her mother, although she didn't know too much about the pardon itself. She knew that Nina had, indirectly, helped stop the nuke but she hated the fact that the government had to let her go in order for her to give them the information.

"What does he know that we don't? Besides, Alex doesn't have the terrorist connections Nina had," Chase spoke, although he wasn't fully sure how truthful that was. Could they really know for sure that he didn't have links to some group, people who were more than happy to help him?


	4. Palmer

**Bus Station, Los Angeles, 4:40am**

Alex was sat near the bus station, waiting nervously for it to open and for a chance to get out of the city. He planned to catch a bus to Las Vegas and from there, fly to Chicago, allowing him to get some sleep as he travelled away from LA. He still had the gun used to kill Jack in his possession, and he contemplated what to do about it. The bus station most likely had metal detectors, and it would be reckless to use his CTU credentials to bypass security. Suddenly, his phone rang and he checked to see who was calling him, but the number was withheld. Deciding to risk it but keeping in mind how long it took to trace a call, he answered.

"Alex Myers, I assume?" A male voice with a British accent spoke, but Alex couldn't put a name or face to the voice. He decided not to confirm his identity and see if the person was willing to continue.

"You're not very talkative, are you? Very well. My name is Michael Amador," the voice continued, and Alex felt anger rising. Clutching the phone tighter, as if he were trying to hurt Amador, he decided to reply.

"I guess you've heard about Nina and Jack, Amador. If I ever find you, I'll kill you!" Alex snarled, wishing that he could replace Jack or even Nina with Amador and bring at least one of them back to life, his anger overriding his own personal distaste towards revenge. Amador was silent for a moment, before chuckling.

"I'll soon be out of the country, Alex. I don't see you having quite the same luck, but I'll wish you it anyway. Unless, of course, you do something for my client. The one who was going to get the virus no matter who won the auction. Agree to that, and I'll ensure CTU never see or hear from you again," Amador replied. He didn't particularly care either way, but he liked to have extra options if necessary.

"I'm no terrorist, Amador, I won't kill innocents just to save my own life!" Alex replied angrily. He had no wish to even contemplate the offer.

"Suit yourself. Out of pure curiosity, where exactly are you planning to go? Buses aren't the quickest of escape routes," Amador spoke, causing Alex to look around the area quickly.

"You've got eyes on me, haven't you?" Alex replied, but Amador simply ended the call. Cursing under his breath, Alex readied his gun and decided to look for Amador's people. Suddenly, he saw movement in the shadows and decided to take a risk, shooting at the figure who slumped to the ground. Approaching the body slowly, keeping an eye out for any other goons or the police, he noticed the gun in the terrorist's hand and replaced it with the one he was carrying. Searching through the dead man's pockets for a phone, he smirked as he wasted no time in calling Amador.

"Burke, is it done?" Amador replied, only for Alex to laugh. Amador responded with confused mumblings.

"Other way around, Amador," Alex spoke, before ending the call and throwing the phone into a nearby bush before dragging Burke's corpse into it as well. Using the shadows as cover, he made his way to the other side of the bus station, hoping that the body would not be discovered until he was long gone.

Now on the bus heading for Las Vegas, Alex was feeling far more relaxed than he thought he would be. He had taken a risk in using his CTU credentials in order to keep hold of his gun and thankfully, the security guard had not looked too closely at the name. Sitting on the back row, giving himself the ability to see all of the bus, he allowed himself to fall asleep. He just hoped that it wouldn't be a big mistake.

The President, meanwhile, was shattered. David Palmer's night had been without sleep, and as he had not heard from Jack Bauer or CTU for some hours, he was concerned. He was usually kept in the loop when it came to crises at CTULA. Taking a gulp of black coffee before grabbing his phone, he decided to ring CTU and get an update. Having heard of the success in catching Nina Myers in Mexico, he hoped that Jack was finding similar results in stopping the virus.

"CTU, Almeida," a very tired Tony answered. Although he was trying his best to keep his focus on the mission, his mind seemed to jump back to Jack, Nina and Alex at every chance it got.

"Director Almeida, this is the President. I would like to speak to Jack," Palmer replied, and Tony was stunned. Not only was the President calling directly, but he was also talking about Jack as if he were still alive. Clearing his throat, he wondered how on Earth he was going to break the news.

"Mr President, I'm very sorry to tell you this, but a few hours ago, Jack Bauer shot and killed Nina Myers as she attempted to escape CTU. Moments later, Alex Myers, Nina's brother.. shot and killed Jack, but he managed to escape. I'm sorry, sir," Tony replied, as Chappelle looked at him with sympathy. Palmer was stunned by the news, and it took him a while to process what he had just been told. His reply came in a firm and determined voice.

"Director Almeida, you have all resources available to find and capture Alex Myers. I want you to focus on the virus threat as a primary objective, but I want you to get any agents you can afford working on finding him. Get help from other branches or agencies if you need it," he spoke. Ending the call, his mind went straight to that day he first met Alex Myers, the same day he had first met Jack Bauer. He had seemed to be a good agent, and Palmer had felt a lot of sympathy for him after his sister's treachery was uncovered, although those feelings were in the past now.

Alex woke suddenly as the bus shuddered over a bump in the road. There was now broad daylight outside, and the scenery told him that they were some distance out of the city now. It would be another few hours before he would reach Las Vegas, and then a few more before he would land back in Chicago for the first time in years. His route depended on him taking some big risks, but he was growing more confident that he would make it.

Palmer was staring out of the window, deep in thought. He was worried about Kim Bauer, determined that Alex Myers would not get away and depressed over the untimely death of Jack Bauer. He could understand the anger that Alex might have felt about his sister's death, but the murder of Jack Bauer had come out of nowhere. Sighing quietly, he could only wait and hope that everything would work out.

Sarah was at work and now well aware of what had happened at CTULA. Her bosses had already interrogated her about Alex, asking her to tell them everything she thought might be of use, although she had kept the phone call secret. If Alex was heading to Chicago, as much as she hated what he had done, she didn't want to be the cause of his capture.


	5. Tony

**Sarah Henderson's house, Chicago, 4:30pm**

Alex was stood outside of Sarah's house, plucking up the courage to knock on the door. He had not been in contact with her since that early morning phone call, and so had no idea how much she had since found out about. Forcing himself to knock, before looking around nervously, he waited for her to answer. Almost as soon as she opened the door, as if expecting him, she gestured for him to go inside quickly. As she walked in behind him, she quietly locked the door.

"Alex, I'm sorry to hear about Nina. On the bright side, though, they managed to stop the threat but not before hundreds of lives were lost," Sarah informed him as they sat down in the living room. She wondered how things might have been different if Jack had been alive, but decided not to dwell on that.

"You've been in contact with LA, haven't you?" Alex asked, noticing the nervousness growing on her face. She seemed to take an eternity to answer.

"I know what you did," she whispered, and Alex quickly stood up, only for Sarah to do the same. She quickly grabbed a gun and pointed it at him, even though it broke her heart to do so.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" he spoke, wary of making any sudden movements, but hoping that she had no intention of actually using the gun.

"They don't know you're here, Alex, but I want you to turn yourself in for your own sake. Please," she asked him, tears forming in her eyes. They really didn't know where he was, although she was scared that he would end up dead if he didn't surrender.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Alex replied. He took a few slow, steady steps closer to the front door, wary that she might still shoot him, but as he moved he could tell that she had no intention of doing so. He smiled sadly at her, before he vanished from her view and, as he unlocked the door he could hear her placing the gun onto a table. Sarah decided not to tell CTU of his whereabouts, but she hoped that he would at least consider giving himself up.

**Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles, 2:45pm (LA time)**

Tony was sat in his cell, the place he had been for some hours at this point. His act of love for his wife had been called treason by the law, and he couldn't help but think about how he was in a jail cell whilst Alex Myers was probably halfway across the country by now. All that night, Alex had been working hard, even after finding out Nina was involved, and he had played an important part in helping to stop her worm. There had been no warning that he was going to do what he did, no reason for it other than revenge. Tony tried to view it as such, but Alex had never believed in eye for an eye, so for him to just kill Jack to avenge Nina made no sense at all. Had Jack said or done something that had set Alex off? The only way answers were going to be found was if Alex was caught, but he was entirely out of the loop on that.

**Cab, Chicago, 5:00pm (Chicago time)**

Alex was now in a cab on his way back to O'Hare airport. He had no idea of where to go next, but he knew that he had to get out of Chicago. Looking out of the rain-spotted window, at the crowds of pedestrians on the sidewalks, he thought about what Sarah had said. Prison wasn't something he feared, but he did fear being executed under a Palmer administration. The irony was that he had voted for Palmer and was a big supporter of him, but he knew that the President would not want to be lenient on the man who killed Jack Bauer.

**Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles, 4:45pm (LA time)**

Tony had fallen asleep in his cell, although his slumber was light and disturbed by nightmares. The events of the previous night were playing in his mind, over and over again. He knew what he had done was treason, but he had done it out of love and ensured that nobody got hurt in the process. Everything had turned out OK in the end, but they had not gone easy on him. He wondered if he could get a pardon from the President, as it was a federal case, but he knew he was facing a long sentence behind bars and, worst of all, away from Michelle.


	6. Nowhere to Run

**_Two years later.._ **

**Alex's car, Massena, New York, 2:45pm**

Alex had grown used to living in Massena, a small town in upstate New York. It was far away from Los Angeles and close to the border with Canada, if it was necessary for him to get out of the country quickly. He was known not as Alex Myers from Chicago, but as James Haysbert from Peoria and worked in a factory, a job far removed from the world of counter-terrorism but one that didn't involve killing and torturing people. His time in the town had been quiet, but he knew that people had been caught even after being on the run for decades.

As for Chase Edmunds, he had returned to CTU Washington a few months after Jack's death. The aftermath of the murder had caused a fatal strain on his relationship with Kim, leaving him a single father to Angela. He wasn't actively involved in the hunt for Alex, but he maintained an interest in the case and was always looking out for any leads.

Alex was anxious to get back to his apartment or at least away from the main part of town. He had seen someone he was sure he recognised, and in his haste to leave the area as quickly as he could, he had attracted the attention of the police. The already high anxiety surging through him only increased as the siren and lights came to life and, taking a deep breath, he calmly recollected the important information he needed. James Haysbert, a 34-year-old from Peoria, therefore told himself to relax as he pulled over to the side of the road.

"Licence and registration please, sir," The officer spoke after taking what seemed like an eternity to reach Alex's car. Fishing out the documents from the glove compartment, Alex passed them to the officer who examined them with great care.

"You were speeding pretty quickly just then, Mr Haysbert," the cop, Officer Balfour, commented.

"I apologise for that, officer, I know better than to speed like that," Alex replied calmly. He hoped that by remaining calm and cooperative, that the cop would not be as thorough and leave quicker.

"Alright, I'll just check these documents are legit, then I'll let you off with a warning," Balfour spoke, before returning to his car. Alex took a deep breath and knew that this was the moment when the fake ID would either pay for itself, or send him to prison. As the officer returned, Alex noticed that his hand was resting on his gun, and he gripped the steering wheel hard.

"Sir, can you step out of the car, please?" The officer asked, and Alex decided he had no option but to do as he was asked. Getting out of the car, he made sure to keep calm and to focus on not coming across as either antsy or suspicious.

As the officer handcuffed him, he informed Alex that the documents were fake before reading him his rights. Soon in the back of the cop car, Alex wondered if the person he had panicked about even was the person he thought they were. It didn't matter now, Alex knew that his time on the run was very much over.

At the police station, Alex was being booked and, as they took his fingerprints, he realised that they were only going to find out who he truly was. Deciding to relieve himself of the stress of waiting for that revelation, he spoke to the officer. Maybe it would at least help him out if he showed cooperation?

"My name isn't really James Haysbert, nor am I from Peoria, officer. I'm Alexander Myers, from Chicago," he confessed, and it felt good to not only use his real name again, but also to finally remove the heavy cloak of a false identity.

"Alexander Myers? You wanted somewhere?" Balfour asked, curious as to the reason. Alex wondered just how the cop would react to what he would say next.

"I am, in Los Angeles. I killed a federal agent," he replied, and Balfour's face paled dramatically.

"Jesus! What did you do that for?" Balfour spoke, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun even though his gut and his mind told him that Alex wasn't a threat at that moment in time.

"He killed my sister. I was a federal agent myself, we worked at CTU, the Counter Terrorist Unit," Alex explained, and it all felt like such a long time ago.

**CTU Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 12:30pm (LA time)**

Bill Buchanan had only been in the job of Director for six months, although he had quickly settled into it. The day was a quiet one, something Bill savoured as it was all too easy for something to go wrong or for some incident to develop. As the phone rang, he picked it up and the conversation he had was certainly not a normal one.

**Massena Police Department, Massena, 4:00pm (Massena time)**

Alex was now in a cell, deep in thought. He knew that CTU would be notified but he had no idea who within the agency would find out. It was very likely that it would be common knowledge soon enough, just like everyone had known about his sister and about Jack, but he wasn't sure how some would react. He didn't know anything about what had happened in CTU or to people he had known and worked with, so all he could do was wait.

**CTU Chicago, Chicago, 3:10pm (Chicago time)**

Sarah Henderson, now Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago branch of CTU, cursed under her breath before slumping back in her chair. She had just received word of Alex's capture from CTU Los Angeles. Whilst she was glad he had been taken alive, she had hoped to find him before they did. He would be soon taken into federal custody and she pondered trying to get him transferred to Chicago, but she knew it was a long shot as he had committed the crime in LA.

**CTU Washington, Washington DC, 4:40pm (Washington and Massena time)**

Chase Edmunds was preparing to fly to Massena, and he hoped that he could get there before Alex was transferred to Los Angeles. CTU wouldn't grant him access there, due to the shared history, but as a federal agent he was certain that the Massena police would allow him to at least talk to him. He had been allowed to use a CTU helicopter to travel there, and before he left he decided to call Kim.

"Chase? What is it?" Kim asked, wondering why he was contacting her all of a sudden. They had split up some time before and were not regularly in touch, especially after Chase had moved to the East Coast. She was happy to hear his voice again, even if it did upset her by bringing back memories of her father.

"They found Alex, he's being held in a police station in upstate New York. I'm going there now, see if I can talk to him," Chase replied, and he could only imagine how she was feeling about that news.

"Really? I'm so glad to hear it, but what happens now? Are they bringing him back to LA?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, he'll be taken into federal custody soon enough, they won't let me have access once that happens though," Chase spoke as he approached the already warming up helicopter.

**Massena Police Department, Massena, 6:00pm (Massena time)**

Alex was being escorted to another room, his hands handcuffed and shackles on his legs, where he was sat down at a table. The room, with its minimal contents and two-way mirror, was an interrogation room that reminded him of the ones back at CTU. Looking at the door, he wondered what they wanted to talk to him about, as well as who wanted to do the talking. He was surprised to see Chase Edmunds walk into the room and was relieved to see that he was unarmed. He wasn't scared of Chase, nor did he think that he would get violent, but he hoped both of them could remain calm.

"Hello, Alex," Chase spoke with little emotion in his voice. He had promised Kim that it would be a conversation and nothing more.

"Hello, Chase," Alex replied, looking at him curiously. It was interesting to him that Chase was the first of his former friends and colleagues to appear, although as he had been Kim's boyfriend and Jack's partner, he knew that he would be keeping a close eye on any news on him.

"You know, it's one of the hardest things in the world for someone to have to bury both of their parents at such a young age. Makes it worse when their parents were killed in the same room by people they had trusted," Chase spoke, and emotion grew in his voice with each word.

"I am sorry for Kim, and I mean that," Alex replied. He did feel awful that Kim had to once more come to terms with the loss of a parent, in very similar circumstances as she had lost the other. His own parents had died before he was even eighteen, which made his understanding even deeper. Of course, he had to cope with another, more recent, loss and that was of his sister who he had lost over several years. He had seen Nina go from being a kind, intelligent, successful woman to someone who could kill in an instant, who would do anything if it benefited her. This had changed him in many ways, some for the better but also some for the worse.

"Then do what is right and cooperate. Plead guilty and don't drag this out any longer than it needs to," Chase spoke, making sure to put emphasis on all the right words.

"I will, Chase," Alex spoke. He knew it was the right thing to do.


	7. 25 to Life

**_A/N - The deaths of Palmer and Michelle still happen in this story even though they happened in canon because they knew Jack was still alive. This is to enable future events in the story._ **

**_Two years later, four years after Day Three…_ **

**US Penitentiary Victorville, Victorville, California, 11:00am**

Alex had grown used to life in prison and, as he was serving 25 to life for the murder of Jack, he was going to be there for some time. His guilty plea and a good lawyer meant that he was charged with, and convicted of, second-degree murder, allowing him the possibility of one day being free again.

A few months earlier, he had been shocked to hear not only of the death of President Palmer, but also of Tony and Michelle. He had not been given all the details, so he had could only imagine what had happened. The idea of his friends dying so young felt more of a punishment than prison ever could be, and he wondered if their deaths could have been prevented if Jack was still alive.

**Kim's house, Los Angeles, 11.15am**

Kim smiled as she looked at the picture she was holding, of her and her boyfriend. She had met him in the busyness of a Los Angeles street on a day that until then had been nothing but stress and annoyance. Life was looking good for her, and she felt like she was really moving on from the dark days after her father's murder. At one point, she would often be sure she had seen Nina or Alex on the street somewhere, but the ghosts no longer haunted her.

**Emerson's base, Victorville, 12.00pm**

Emerson was busy on the phone when the information he needed arrived. It was of huge importance to him, because it made getting yet another recruit possible. Hanging up the phone and beginning to read the email with great interest, he knew that he had to put his plan into effect within hours if he was to be successful.

**Kim's studio, Los Angeles, 12:30pm**

Kim was now at work, and she was working hard on her latest project. She was an artist, designing some of the posters that advertised movies and music albums across the country. Although she had never seen herself doing such a thing for a living, she was good at it, and it didn't involve terrorists or death. At least, not usually anyway, unless the movie or album was a particularly violent one. Little things would often remind her of her mother or father, but she was at peace with their deaths now, with the reminders almost always being positive.

**US Penitentiary Victorville, Victorville, California, 1:30pm**

Alex was leaving the communal dining hall and returning to his cell when a couple of guards came up to him. Telling him to go with them, he complied and followed them into one of the quieter, more isolated corridors. There they stopped and, after a few moments of silence, Alex decided to find out what was going on.

"Is everything OK?" he asked one of the guards, both of whom were much taller and bigger than he was. They looked young too, maybe no older than their mid-twenties. Alex had never seen these guards before, but he often saw new guards and it wasn't as if he could just disregard their orders or question their identity.

"Yes, we're just waiting for someone," the guard closest to him replied. Alex looked around, wondering why they were waiting here, in what seemed to be a rather remote part of the prison. If CTU wanted to question him, or his lawyer was scheduled to see him, this certainly wasn't the place he was normally taken to. A few minutes later, a man appeared at the far end of the corridor. Once he had reached them, he looked directly at Alex before turning his attention to the guard who had spoken earlier.

"This is Alex Myers?" the man asked, and the guard nodded. Suddenly, a gun was pushed into Alex's side, urging him to walk down the corridor. Alex complied, confused by this. He wondered if these were real prison guards or not and, if they were in disguise, what did they want with him? Friends of Jack, planning to seek revenge? He decided to keep his attention on his surroundings rather than on speculation. As they reached the other end of the corridor, where there was a wide open door, he saw a white van parked close by. All of a sudden, the third man pulled out a syringe and plunged it into Alex's neck and, as Alex lost consciousness, he felt himself being carried towards the van.

**Kim's studio, Los Angeles, 2:00pm**

Kim had just picked up the phone and wasn't at all surprised to hear the voice of Bill Buchanan. Although she had left CTU shortly after her father's death, she kept in touch with some of the agents and had even done some temporary analyst work for them from time to time. She wondered if this role was the reason for the call, but Buchanan's voice suggested something was wrong.

"Kim, I don't know how to tell you this, but Alex Myers is missing," he spoke, much to her confusion. Missing? If they were calling her, then he wasn't just hiding somewhere in the prison, it meant that he was out of it entirely.

"Missing?" Kim asked, confused by the wording.

"Security footage shows him being abducted by three men, two of whom were wearing prison guard uniforms," Bill explained, wishing that he had at least some idea as to why Myers had been taken.

"Could you keep me updated, please?" Kim asked. She, too, had no idea what the men could want with Alex. Was it an escape disguised as an abduction? Was it something that Alex didn't know about before it happened? Sighing as she put the phone down, she wished that things could be simpler.

**Emerson's base, Victorville, 2:30pm**

As Alex woke up from his drug-induced sleep, he found himself inside a small room that was virtually pitch black apart from a small sliver of light from what he thought might be some sort of observation window. He tried to move but quickly discovered that he was bound tightly to a chair. Sighing, he gave up the attempt to move and began thinking about his captors. Who were they and why had they taken him? How were they able to get access to a high-security prison and just walk out with a prisoner? His questions were all about to be answered as the door creaked open and a figure appeared. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, he saw exactly who it but was unable to believe it. His own mind was telling him that a dead man stood, very much alive, in front of him.

"Tony?!"


	8. On The Seventh Day

**_A/N – This chapter takes place on an Alternate Day Seven_ **

**_Five years later, nine years after Day Three.._ **

**Airport, Washington DC, 6.20am**

Alex was following the instructions given to him by Tony - keep an eye on Bob and Sarah, the couple who were in turn keeping an eye on Kim in case anything went wrong. They weren't working for Tony, but he had asked Alex to monitor them. Kim had not initially been a part of the plan, but after Tony had discovered that she was in the DC area, he had convinced his allies that a hostage he knew personally would be a potential asset. Alex had been reluctant to work with the group at first, knowing that Michelle would never have wanted Tony to avenge her in any way, especially not by becoming a terrorist. Eventually he had decided that it was in his best interests, seeing as the other options were either returning himself to prison or being killed by Emerson's group, and they had already demonstrated that they could get to him in prison if he decided to go with the first option. The fact that he would rather work with terrorists - be a terrorist - than sit in a cell and wait for a chance at parole was one he had struggled with. He had sometimes wondered if he really was all that different to his sister, but he told himself that whilst she would pick the same option, she would have no problem with the choice.

Kim was feeling more and more nervous as the couple who had been keeping her company grew more and more sinister, and she was hoping that it didn't show in her face or body language. Suddenly, that didn't matter anymore as all hell broke loose and she was grabbed by Sarah, who pressed a knife against her neck and told her not to do anything foolish. Bob had pulled out a gun and was shooting at the advancing security guards. Watching with confusion, Alex considered whether or not to tell Tony about what he was witnessing, but instead he decided to wait and see.

Eventually, the shooting died down, leaving Sarah and numerous guards dead. Alex watched as Bob, soon followed by Kim, disappeared down a corridor. Flashbacks of the night Nina died played in his head, and he realised that he had a choice. Stay put, blending in with the crowd, or go after Kim and Bob. It wasn't long before he had begun running quickly after them.

Kim knew he was armed and willing to kill, but she was determined to get the laptop off of Bob. She wondered how her dad would deal with this situation, as well as how he would feel about her following an armed terrorist down a dark corridor once more. That night her dad died, she had never expected to be in a standoff with Nina, hoping that someone would find them before Nina decided to pull the trigger, and once her dad had indeed arrived and shot Nina she had thought it was all over. Instead, she had to relive losing a parent all over again.

Alex realised why Kim was chasing after Bob as he maintained a good distance between her and himself. Suddenly, Bob seemed to have grown tired of having Kim chase him, as he stopped and turned around. She froze as his gun was aimed straight at her head, knowing that her dad wasn't going to come and save her this time. To Bob's detriment, however, he hesitated in shooting, allowing Alex the chance to shoot him in the head, his body and the laptop crashing to the ground.

"Who's there?" Kim called out nervously. She had no idea who it was that had just saved her and, after recent events, she didn't know who she could trust.

"It's me, Kim," Alex spoke as he emerged out of the shadows. Horrified, Kim grabbed the laptop and Bob's gun, before beginning to run.

"You're working for the terrorists, aren't you?" Kim shouted as she turned around to fire a shot off in Alex's direction. She had always wondered who had abducted Alex from prison and why, but she had never expected to see him again.

"I am, but you don't need to run," Alex yelled back, moving quickly but carefully after her. He had no idea of what to actually do if he caught up with her.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you, Alex!" Kim replied back, and why would she? She could see the exit of the garage coming up and a group of people nearby who looked like FBI agents. Renee Walker, the agent in charge, was one of them.

"There's a terrorist after me, Alex Myers!" Kim spoke as she caught her breath, before passing the laptop to an agent. Nodding, Renee directed two of her people to follow her into the garage.

"FBI! Show yourself, Myers!" Renee yelled into the darkness, her eyes exploring the area for any movement. She knew little about Alex, but she did know of him and that he had killed Kim's father. A thought crept into her mind, that maybe she should do her a favour, but if Alex was working with or for Tony, he could be useful in catching Almeida.

Alex knew that he had little choice but to surrender, but he quickly realised the opportunity in front of him. Slowly making himself visible to the agents, he uncocked his gun before placing it on the ground, then lifting his hands up in surrender. One of the agents with Renee kicked the gun away before handcuffing Alex. As he was led towards a car, he knew that he would have a new, fourth option available to him and he was determined to do all he could to achieve it. However, as Renee got into the car, she looked in the rear view mirror at Alex and Kim, wondering if it was a good idea to have them in the same car. Alex had planned to ask about Tony as soon as he could, but he felt shame at the possibility of doing so in front of Kim. Taking a deep breath, he ignored the shame and forced himself to act in his own interests.

"You want to find Tony Almeida, right?" Alex began, as his eyes met those of Renee in the mirror. He could feel Kim's eyes burning into his face, and wondered if she had any idea what he was hoping to get.

"Yeah, I'm guessing you can help with that?" Renee replied. Thoughts of Larry rose in her mind, but she gently pushed them away.

"I can help you find him, I know exactly where he is," Alex spoke, and for a moment the shame came flooding back. He was bargaining, willing to sell Tony out, and he wondered if Nina had ever felt even a second of shame when she had betrayed someone. The look of interest in Renee's eyes told him to forget about shame and Nina, to instead concentrate on getting what he wanted.

"I suppose this information comes with a price?" Renee asked, having guessed that Alex wasn't just going to lead them there without something in return. She couldn't blame him, nor could she allow anything to stop her from bringing Tony Almeida to justice. Kim by now was looking out of the window, trying her best to ignore the conversation.

"In return, I want a pardon. For everything I've done, including the murder of Jack Bauer," Alex announced, and he felt bile rising in his throat. Had he really just asked for that in front of Kim? He would have found it easier if she wasn't in the car with them, that was for sure. Renee seemed to consider his words for a moment, she of course couldn't just give him a pardon by herself, but she would do all she could to get it for him if it meant bringing Almeida down.

"Alright, I'll do what I can, you have my word," Renee replied, her eyes looking over at Kim for a second. She felt sympathy for her, having to hear her father's killer ask for his freedom even after everything he had done, but sometimes uncomfortable decisions had to be made.


	9. A Way Out

**FBI headquarters, Washington DC, 7:00am**

Alex was in a holding room, knowing that he would soon be helping the FBI bring down an old friend in order to gain his freedom once more. He was confident that the pardon would be granted, but he did still wonder if something would happen to ruin everything. Kim being involved complicated things and whilst he really did feel sorry for her, he knew this would be easier if she was back home in Los Angeles unaware of everything.

In the bullpen, Kim had managed to get Renee to listen to her, having followed her as much as she could since their arrival at the building.

"You can't honestly be considering giving him a pardon, he killed my father!" she spoke angrily. Memories of that day Nina had been given a pardon, only to later void it, ran through her mind and she was sure she didn't want a repeat of that. Renee looked at her sympathetically, she could understand Kim but at the same time, she knew that Tony Almeida was more of a danger than Alex Myers.

"We'll give him strict conditions," she replied, but Kim just scoffed.

"His sister was given strict conditions, she just ignored them," Kim told her. Not to mention that she had been made to leave the country, Alex would be free to go anywhere he wanted.

"I promise you, if the FBI finds out he's broken any of his conditions, I will personally ensure he spends the rest of his life behind bars," Renee replied, and she intended to keep that promise.

**Warehouse, Washington DC, 7:20am**

Tony sighed as he chucked the phone onto the table. He had just had a very informative phone call, and he knew that he had to get out of there fast. If he was quick, he could be miles away by nine. Turning around and pulling open a drawer, he began rummaging through the contents. Anything he didn't take would have to be destroyed.

**FBI headquarters, Washington DC, 7:25am**

Renee walked into the holding room and placed the pardon down on the table in front of Alex, who began reading it carefully. He was fine with the conditions mostly, although one of them indirectly forbade him from ever being in contact with Sarah again, which he felt conflicted about but he wondered if it was better for the both of them. That being said, it wasn't as if he didn't have ways of working around it.

"We'll be leaving in a few moments, you'll need to go in blind but we'll secure the area whilst you keep an eye on Almeida," Renee informed him, pleased to finally have a chance to stop Tony.

**Warehouse, Washington DC, 7:50am**

Alex was alert as he walked into the warehouse and, as he headed towards the office where he could see Tony busily emptying a drawer, he mentally repeated his cover story. Reaching the office door, he knocked on the frame.

"Tony, there's a problem. The operatives you told me to monitor were killed by the FBI," he spoke, although Tony didn't even glance in his direction. Alex could have been stood there with a group of federal agents and he wouldn't have noticed.

"Yeah, I know, where the hell have you been?" Tony replied. Things were going downhill fast, although he had a plan for getting out of DC quick.

"I had to lie low for a while, just in case," Alex told him, hoping that he would believe him. A few painful moments of silence went by before Tony stood up and closed the bag he had been filling, which he threw at Alex.

"Take that and put it in the car, we need to get out of here," he spoke, before turning his attention to a nearby filing cabinet. Nodding, Alex moved towards a nearby car and was in the process of putting the bag in the trunk, when everything went black.

**FBI headquarters, Washington DC, 8:00am**

Kim, whose request to go with the convoy to the warehouse had been quickly rejected, was currently in a conference room by herself, sipping a mug of black coffee that tasted strangely similar to the coffee CTU had offered. Renee had promised to give her a full report on everything that happened, but for now she had been told to relax and wait. She had been given a copy of the pardon and was carefully reading every word, sentence paragraph and condition. Much of it was boilerplate, but the conditions were crystal clear - he was to keep away from Kim and her family, he was to not get involved in criminal or terrorist activity, he was not allowed to own or possess firearms and he was not to associate with anyone who he knew to be a current or former CTU agent. She hoped that he would abide by it and follow each and every one of the conditions, as breaking one or more of them was likely to lead to someone getting hurt and the Myers siblings had caused enough harm. Still, she was angry that, like his sister, he was going to get away with killing her parent. He had hated Nina being pardoned as much as Kim had, even though both knew that it had been given for good reasons.

**Warehouse, Washington DC, 8:20am**

Alex groaned as he regained consciousness, before soon realising that he was bound tightly to a metal pillar. Tony was stood near him, holding a gun and looking angry, and Alex was wondering whether the FBI were aware of this latest development or not. If it was the latter, he knew they had to act fast.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Alex? I know you went to the FBI!" Tony yelled at him, pointing the gun straight at his head. His contact within the agency had told him all about the convoy and more. Walking closer to Alex and crouching down, he chuckled.

"I know about the pardon, too," he continued. He wanted to feel some surprise at the idea of Alex Myers selling him out, but he could see that Alex really wasn't that different to his sister after all.

"You would have done the same, Tony," Alex replied. Whilst he had been ashamed of asking for it in front of Kim, he wasn't ashamed of confirming it to Tony. Tony smirked in reponse, before standing back up and pointing the gun at Alex once more.

"I guess it was unnecessary in the end, I'm sure Kim will be relieved," Tony spoke. He was just about to pull the trigger when the FBI stormed into the building.

"Drop the gun, Almeida!" Renee yelled, although she secretly hoped he would give her an excuse to shoot him. Tony looked at the agents in surprise, before doing just as she wished. He raised his gun towards them, only to be cut down in a hail of bullets, dead before he hit the ground.

Alex looked at Tony's body, feeling a sense of relief but also a sense of sadness. Michelle would never have wanted Tony to avenge her, but vengeance had twisted him and turned him into someone that she wouldn't have recognised. As an agent freed him from his restraints, he told himself that things were almost over.

"You OK, Alex?" Renee asked as he got back up.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied as he rubbed his reddened wrists. He was glad that the rope wasn't about to be replaced with handcuffs.

"We need to take you back to headquarters, but you should be free to go by this afternoon," Renee told him. The pardon was quite clear in what he could and could not do, and she hoped that he would abide by it for both his and Kim's sake.

"Tony mentioned a contact inside the FBI, he knew about the convoy and the pardon," Alex spoke. He wondered if he knew who the contact was.

**FBI headquarters, Washington DC, 9:10am**

Kim had been given an update on the mission and was sad to hear of Tony's death. She and Alex agreed on one thing, that Michelle would not recognise the vengeful man that Tony Almeida had become. She didn't recognise Alex either, who had once been a trustworthy friend, someone she could count on. Looking out into the bullpen, she noticed that the agents and Alex were now back in the building. Standing up, she walked out of the conference room and hastily moved towards Alex. Before anyone noticed her, she slapped him hard.

"I'll never forgive you for killing my father, but if you have even a shred of remorse for it, you'll abide by the pardon!" she yelled at a shocked Alex before storming off. Alex watched as she disappeared behind a corner, before realising that everyone was looking at him. He did feel remorse, had felt it for years, and he had every intention of sticking to the conditions of the pardon. He wanted to tell her that, to promise that he would never break any of the conditions, but he reasoned that his promises would mean nothing to her anymore.

Kim had locked herself in a cubicle of the nearest women's toilets, silently crying. She wanted nothing more than to just go back to Los Angeles and to move on from the harrowing events of that day. Never having to see Alex Myers again gave her some comfort, although she was worried about some of the other conditions potentially being broken.

A short while later, with everything now sorted out, Alex was once more a free man. Thanking Renee, he decided that it would be best to get out of Washington and find somewhere to lie low for a while, for real this time.


	10. An Ending

**_Five years later, fourteen years after Day Three.._ **

**Alex's house, Everett, Washington, 11:30am**

Alex sighed as he deleted the latest draft of the email he was considering sending to Sarah. Not only was he unsure of what he could write, but he was also wondering if it was even worth the risk. Even though it had been some years now since his pardon, and even though he had stuck to each and every one of his conditions, he felt as if the government would somehow know who the email was from and he would be behind bars for good if that was to happen. Still, he was glad that he didn't have to go into limited exile as Nina had, and that he was allowed to go anywhere he wanted within the conditions of his pardon. Things definitely could have been worse.

He looked out of the window, gazing at nothing in particular but rather just admiring the view. Everett, a city north of Seattle in the Puget Sound region, was his latest home. He had moved from place to place since the pardon, never really settling anywhere - he didn't want to go back to Chicago in case he was tempted to contact Sarah, and he couldn't go back to Los Angeles as he wanted to avoid Kim and her family as much as possible - but he didn't have many reasons to put down roots.

Standing up and deciding he needed some fresh air, he wondered what Kim was doing. No matter what that was, he sincerely hoped that she was happy.

**Churchyard, Los Angeles, 11:40am**

Kim was standing there in silence, gazing at the names on the black stone. Carved in gold were the names of her parents, reunited at last in some way, with room underneath for when she herself would eventually be buried there with them. The last years of her life that included her parents had been harrowing, but she had survived and was determined to make her parents proud. Quietly bidding them farewell, she turned and walked away slowly.

**Beach, Everett, Washington, 12:00pm**

Wandering along the coastline, deep in thought, Alex thought of all the events that had led him here. Twenty years had passed since that awful first day at CTULA, and he knew that the Alex of 2002 wouldn't be able to recognise him. So much had happened since, that Alex was sure the feeling would be mutual.

As he stopped and began to look out towards the horizon, he understood that a large reason for where he was now were the consequences of his own actions. Yes, he had been angry at Jack and the first bullet had been a surprise to both, but he had often wondered if he could have stopped himself from taking it further. Then came being on the run for a couple of years, scared of facing up to what he had done, only for it to be over because he had made a mistake. He couldn't have done much about the abduction, but he had always felt he had no choice in joining Emerson's group and maybe that wasn't the case. He could have gone to CTU or the FBI, tell them about everything and ask for protection, but instead he had become a terrorist and almost gotten himself killed. Now he was aimless, moving from place to place and earning money by doing low-skilled jobs that often paid in cash, and it seemed as if he would do that for the rest of his life. It wasn't too bad usually, although it meant he never really got to know anyone, not even the people he worked with. His family were all dead and what friends he had were out of bounds due to the pardon. There had been a few times where a relationship had developed, but his unwillingness to be completely honest about his past meant that any potential girlfriend or boyfriend had little trust in him. Of course, he couldn't blame them for that, but he wanted his past to stay in the past. Sometimes, he saw it as a good thing, to ensure he didn't become too attached to a place, but there had been a couple of times when he would have been more than happy to stick around but he just couldn't bear bringing his past into the present. Those times had hurt.

**Kim's house, Los Angeles, 12:30pm**

Kim was absent-mindedly looking at the latest message she had received from Renee about a week ago. Although they couldn't monitor him too closely, Renee was able to give Kim at least some idea of where Alex was. She had a map of everywhere he had been according to the messages, and had noticed that he was avoiding going too far inland, staying close to the coasts and borders. Right now, he was in the Pacific Northwest, having been staying in Michigan for some months, and Kim noticed something else. Alex was avoiding both California and Illinois, and she had a good idea why.

**Everett, Washington, 12:45pm**

Alex was walking back to his house, still contemplating the email. If he were to send it, he would use a pseudonym that Sarah would recognise, and ensure that he could tell her about himself without giving his true identity away. He wondered if she ever thought about him, and considered the possibility that she was somehow tracking him, knowing almost exactly where he was. The idea of her doing that made him smile, it would mean some sort of connection still existed between them.

**Kim's house, Los Angeles, 1:00pm**

Kim had forgotten all about Alex and was now sat at her kitchen table, drinking tea and working on her latest project. Her portfolio, and her reputation, had grown considerably in recent years and she was beginning to think that she was very close to making it. Her mother had been a talented graphic artist, and she was proud to be walking in her footsteps. Kim was now a similar age that her mother had been when she was killed and though she was further behind in her career than her mother had been at 34, she was determined to go as far as she could and do as well as possible.

**Alex's house, Everett, Washington, 2:00pm**

Alex was back at his computer and he had had enough of thinking about the message. Making a choice that was best for Sarah and himself, he closed the tab showing his email account and shut down the computer. He had chosen to move on.


End file.
